The present invention relates to a package for an integrated circuit chip and a method for fabricating such a package.
Integrated circuit chip packages may have a leadframe substrate or a laminate substrate. The chip is mounted on the substrate, and is electrically connected to input/output terminals of the substrate. Examples of such packages include dual-in-line or quad leadframe packages, and ball grid array packages. Such packages are mounted to a motherboard by soldering the input/output terminals of the package substrate to traces on the mounting surface of the motherboard. The packages are typically mounted so that the substrate and chip are essentially parallel to the mounting surface.
Drawbacks of such conventional designs include a relatively large footprint of the package on the mounting surface of motherboard. The footprint reflects what is typically the maximum dimension of the package, namely, the x-y area of the package. In applications where mounting space is at a premium, such a pagers, portable telephones, and personal computers, among others, a large footprint is undesirable. Another drawback is that the packages are fused by solder to the motherboard. This makes removal of the package from the motherboard difficult, if not impossible.
The present invention includes, among other things, embodiments of integrated circuit packages. An exemplary package includes a molded plastic body having an integrated circuit chip disposed therein. A set of leads is electrically coupled to the integrated circuit chip. Each of the leads is at least partially embedded within the molded plastic body. An aperture is formed in the molded plastic body adjacent an embedded portion of a surface of the leads. At least a portion of each lead is exposed through the corresponding aperture to permit electrical connection to the lead through the aperture and within the peripheral sides of the package body.
Such a package may be coupled to external circuitry by a mounting substrate having conductive pins extending therefrom. In an exemplary embodiment, the package may be physically mounted and electrically coupled to external circuitry by inserting the conductive pins of the substrate into the apertures formed in the integrated circuit package. Contact between the respective pins and the exposed lead surface within the respective apertures provides a snug, electrically conductive connection between the package and the mounting substrate. Optionally, multiple integrated circuit packages may be similarly mounted on corresponding sets of pins extending from the substrate body.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following description of exemplary embodiments, in conjunction with the drawings thereof.